


Cave of Truth

by JustFinster



Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019), Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson
Genre: Light Angst, Light Masochism, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:22:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24249493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustFinster/pseuds/JustFinster
Summary: Snufkin and Moomintroll make an overdue confession. In the process, Snufkin discovers his unusual tendencies that clash somewhat with his core values. He is working his way through conflicting emotions, all the while enjoying Moomintroll's company (both real and imaginary).
Relationships: Mumintrollet | Moomintroll/Snusmumriken | Snufkin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 70





	1. Cave of Truth

**Author's Note:**

> “Moomintroll, it hurts...” Snufkin closed his eyes again and sighed.  
> Moomintroll didn't realize that he squeezed him too firmly in his arms. He didn't let go of his grasp and didn't loosen it though. Not just yet...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A friendly stroll with an unexpected and a bit rough mutual confession in the end =)

Cave of Truth 

“So, what is it that you want to show me?” curiously asked Snufkin while they were walking on a path among trees and shrubs.  
It was a peaceful and relaxing late summer evening when it's still warm, but the cool wind and the early twilight tend to remind about the approaching autumn.  
With a sparkle in his eyes, the sparkle that Snufkin knew all too well and discretely enjoyed, Moomintroll started to explain.  
“Oh, you'll like it! It's a place I discovered recently! I believe not a single soul knows about it! And there is something really strange that I found there!”  
He became quiet for a moment, looking expectedly at Snufkin. Their eyes met, and Moomintroll quickly broke the eye contact. As much as he liked to look into mumrik's brown eyes, he felt a quite unsettling sensation each time it happened. A feeling that he struggled to define.  
He resumed his passionate rambling with an even faster pace.  
“Seriously!.. I've never seen anything like this before! Maybe you know something about it”.  
Moomintroll was almost bouncing as he walked, and his tail kept swaying energetically with anticipation.  
“A special place you say?” said Snufkin with a slight smirk, looking ahead and obviously enjoying the fresh evening breeze.  
“Do you have a lighter with you?” suddenly asked Moomintroll with a hint of nervousness in his voice.  
“Naturally.”  
“Oh, good! I think it's going to be dark there. I took a couple of torches, but I forgot the matches.”  
“I'm glad you did!”  
“Why is that?”  
“With matches on top of everything else, this huge bag of yours would be way too heavy, I guess. It's bigger than mine when I travel.”  
“How funny!” replied Moomintroll with a fake irritation, and started to chuckle, “You know, I might eat Mamma's pancakes all by myself then. You are obviously disrespecting my bag of essential reserves!”  
“Got some coffee as well?”  
“Suppose I did...”  
They both started to laugh, and then walked in silence for some time. It felt good to laugh at silly things. It felt good to be silent as well.  
It was a wonderful night, filled with crickets' light noise and aroma of late summer flowers. The sky started to light up its myriads of stars, like little countless diamonds scattered on a dark blue velvet.  
Moomintroll loved their little adventures more than anything else. Since the time they were teens, he treasured their friendship so much.  
This year was somewhat special as Moominstroll started to frequently find himself strangely nervous in the presence of his best friend. He felt that Snufkin changed, in an intangible way - became even more solitary than before. Moomintroll was afraid that he grew bored with the Valley and its inhabitants, that he missed his travels too much... that one spring he might not come at all... Snufkin started to arrive later than before and walk away much more often than he used to, disappearing for days and sometimes even weeks. His sudden departures always created a painful void in Moomintroll's heart, but he learned to accept it and move on, knowing that Snufkin's freedom was his number one treasure. Moomintroll learned to respect that, yet somewhere inside he couldn't stop thinking about his fears. And he didn't dare to bring this subject up in their conversation... Not yet.  
“Oh, look, we are here,” Moomintroll's train of thought was interrupted by their arrival to the “special” place.  
“Very curious indeed. Looks like another cave,” said Snufkin.  
“Not just any cave though!” the troll's tail started to sway again. “Come inside!”  
It was already very dark in the cave. Moomintroll took a couple of torches out of his bag, and they lit them up. The cave was not very deep or big, and its walls had an unusual surface.  
Two friends came closer and examined the walls.  
“What do you say?” asked Moomintroll impatiently.  
“I'd say we are lucky to not have a certain Sniff with us,” replied Snufkin reflectively. “He would ruin this place in a second. And 10 minutes later would have already sold its pieces.”  
Both chuckled.  
The walls were covered with shiny stones of different shapes and colors. They mysteriously shimmered in the flickering light. The stones were arranged in a certain pattern as if they formed a giant abstract cave drawing.  
“Beautiful, isn't it?” asked Moomintroll.  
“Yeah...”  
“Do you feel it?” asked Moomintroll energetically, taking Snufkin's hand in his paws.  
“W-what?” the latter stepped back, but allowed his hand to be left imprisoned.  
“The energy!” the troll's blue eyes looked greenish in this light and shimmered more than polished stones. “I have a strange feeling here. It's like this place has a lot of power.”  
“This is possible. I must admit, I've never seen anything like that.” Snufkin carefully freed his hand from the other boy's grasp.  
Moomintroll smiled. He felt proud about his find and happy to share it with his friend.  
“It's so far from home... Let's eat!”  
“Great idea. Let's make this burden lighter.”  
They quickly made a fire and began to enjoy Mamma's loving offerings: signature pancakes with jam, coffee, some eggs and berries.  
Moomintroll couldn't stop thinking about the effect that this place had on him. It was as if he suddenly gained strength and courage. He felt very energized despite their long walk. And he felt something else. A strange decisiveness.  
Snufkin took one of the torches and came closer to the wall to inspect it.  
“Hey, Moomintroll! Come here! Look!”  
“What's that?”  
“I think these are letters. Something is written here.”  
They both examined the wall closely.  
“Impossible to read. It's an ancient language, maybe?” - asked Moomintroll.  
“Probably! What a place! You were right, it is an absolutely unique and unusual cave!” passionately said Snufkin. His face flushed a little bit, and his brown eyes shimmered. He looked incredibly, painfully handsome without his hat! “And you're right! There is some powerful energy here.”  
Snufkin turned back to the wall again.  
Moomintroll got an idea. An impulse. He needed to hug Snufkin. It was unbearable not to hug him. Right now. To get closer and just be with him. It wasn't the first time he got such a crazy idea, but he never acted upon it before. He was too afraid.  
Now, without much thinking, he approached Snufkin from behind and carefully, but firmly wrapped his arms around him, interlacing his fingers on his chest. He placed his snout on Snufkin's shoulder and froze. Moomintroll felt how Snufkin shivered slightly and stopped moving. He felt mumrik's body so close to his and so warm. Snufkin smelled fire, tobacco and fish soup. Moomintroll could feel the movement of his friend's chest rising with each breath. And he could definitely say that Snufkin was breathing fast.  
“You have something in mind?..” mumrik's voice sounded strange, unfamiliar and coarse.  
“Just tell me to back up if that's what you want. I will oblige...” whispered Moomintroll into Snufkin's ear without moving his head from his shoulder.  
He suddenly felt how Snufkin's body became strangely heavy, and he slowly began to kneel and settle down on the floor. Without letting him go, the troll sat behind him, still keeping his hands firmly on Snufkin's chest and head glued to the other boy's shoulder. He felt mumrik's accelerated breath and noticed that his eyes were closed, and his head slightly leaned backwards.  
“Are you alright?..” whispered Moomintroll again. He started to feel nervous, but didn't want to let go unless specifically asked to.  
“Yeah,” breathed out Snufkin, “It's just hot in here... I guess. What are you...”  
“I want to tell you something,” Moomintroll started to quickly whisper into Snufkin's ear again, “We know each other for a long time, right? We grew up together, and since then changed a lot, and..” troll pressed his snout to the mumrik's cheek and felt a wave of shiver going through the Snufkin's body, “it's silly to deny... that I...”  
He sighed. He just couldn't find words, and started to feel embarrassed, confused, and afraid. So he simply decided to stay silent and wait. Despite being annoyed with his own inability to speak, Moomintroll enjoyed this closeness immensely. He felt his own heart pounding as if he just finished a marathon, and Snufkin's chest rising and falling under his paws. So painful. So good. It was just too much! He closed his eyes and felt how tears started to roll from his face and onto the mumrik's dress.  
“Moomintroll...” Snufkin's voice sounded deeper than usual. He opened his eyes and looked at his friend with an unreadable expression. “It's ok... Really,” he brought his hand closer to Moomintroll's face and gently wiped the tears. Snufkin looked much more composed by now.  
It was a caring movement, but Moomintroll suddenly felt a hint of anger growing inside. Thoughts rushed through his mind. “It's ok”?! This is all you have to say, damn it! How much longer will you bury inside whatever you feel? Or do you feel anything at all? It just can't continue like that!”  
“Moomintroll, it hurts...” Snufkin closed his eyes again and sighed.  
Moomintroll didn't realize that he squeezed his friend too firmly in his arms. He didn't let go of his grasp and didn't loosen it though. Not just yet...  
“Snufkin, I just want to know one thing, and one thing only,” said Moomintroll firmly, “I know that this is a point of no return. Nothing can be like before, it's too late now. And I don't regret anything. I'm in love with you. There, I said it. What about you?.. I simply want to know the truth and be done with guessing.”  
Right away, Moomintroll released Snufkin from his firm hug and sat quietly beside. He started to regret what he just did. Big time. What if mumrik will just go away and never return?.. This would be the worst...  
“You grew into one hell of a beast, I must say! So strong!” said Snufkin slowly with a smirk as he was sitting on the ground and rubbing his chest. He took off his scarf and threw it at Moomintroll. It got stuck on the troll's ears, and Moomin took it off with an annoyed gesture, looking aside.  
Then, Snufkin took out his pipe and started to smoke. Each movement was incredibly slow and almost meditative.  
“So, what about me...”  
This phrase, said in a reflective and ever so slightly distracted tone, was obviously the last straw for Moomin. He jumped up to his feet and threw himself onto his friend, knocked his pipe out and nailed him to the ground, sitting on his chest and holding his both arms firmly on the ground.  
“I will not move till you tell me what you feel. And I mean it! Enough is enough!” shouted Moomintroll, pressing Snufkin's wrists. Suddenly he wasn't even angry anymore. The whole situation started to seem truly ridiculous. They both began to chuckle, then laugh out loud.  
At this moment, Moomintroll felt an undescribable mix of emotions that he would never believe could even exist at the same time. They simply boiled down to pain and pleasure, merged and dancing in his mind, like a fire.  
“I love you too!” suddenly said Snufkin very seriously, lifting his head from the ground and trying to wiggle his hands which were stuck under Moomintroll's firm pressure, “Always have. Why do you believe I return every year?.. Or do you think I run out of places to go?”  
Moomintroll's expression became very serious, and he took a deep breath, without breaking the eye contact with Snufkin. Troll kept staring at his friend, entranced.  
“Can I finish my pipe now?”  
“Pipe, eh?”  
Moomintroll slowly released Snufkin and sat on the ground beside him. He was looking at the shining wall of the cave, and everything felt completely surreal.  
Snufkin picked up his pipe and began to smoke again.  
They stayed like this for what felt like an eternity. But Moomintroll didn't mind at all.  
“Going away soon?”  
“In a few weeks.”  
Long silence.  
Snufkin suddenly turned to Moomin and took his paw in his hands. Moomintroll shivered a bit, and their eyes met.  
“I thoroughly enjoy this evening,” said Snufkin with a smile, “This is definitely a wonderful place. Thank you for showing it to me.”  
“My pleasure,” blurted out Moomintroll, not really knowing what to say or do anymore.  
“And you know what I liked the most?” ventured Snufkin with a smirk and, without even waiting for a reply, continued, “I realized how I love to feel your strength... and your whisper in my ear.”  
He rubbed his wrist thoughtfully and blushed.  
Moomintroll's face lit up. He moved closer, and with a firm grasp, slowly brought Snufkin's hands behind his back, and, holding them firmly, murmured into his ear:  
“Care to have more of that?..”  
With his back arching and eyes closed, Snufkin almost moaned:  
“Hmm... I sure do...”


	2. Chapter 2

It was a cold October day. One of those days when you are not really sure whether it's still fall or already winter. At night, the early snow covered everything with a thin white moist blanket. The evening was unusually quiet as if birds and other creatures either left the Valley or immersed themselves into a deep hibernation.  
Snufkin was sitting near his tent and looking at the flames of his fire. It was nice and soothing to feel the warmth and listen to light crackling sound coming out of it.

He was thinking about everything. Everything what happened since their memorable trip to that cave. That night...and some other nights.  
He was amazed to discover this Moomintroll's unusual side. Splendid Moomin. So caring and thoughtful, even during those moments that might look the exact opposite of caring for an observer!  
He grinned to himself. Observer. No, this definitely wasn't a part of his fantasies.

Snufkin felt that their relationship gained incredible depth in the last few weeks. And he felt conflicted about this... On one side, he enjoyed their closeness immensely: walking together, exploring the forest and the sea, lying on the grass, counting stars... And, of course, their special moments, too. Yet he felt more and more uncomfortable with others, especially Snorkmaiden. And even Moominmamma. He couldn't bear to look into her wise and kind eyes anymore – her knowing eyes. Snufkin was sure she could read their minds, and she knew everything about her son without ever having to talk things through...  
And it wasn't something shameful when he was thinking about it logically. They both were adults, and they knew what they wanted... and were bold enough to finally go for it. But on some deep emotional level, he felt uneasy and... guilty?..

A familiar loud energetic voice stirred him suddenly out of his daydream.  
“Snufkin, why are you hiding?” Little My appeared out of nowhere like she often did.  
“Good morning Little My. I don't know what you mean,” replied Snufkin calmly with a smirk. “It seems you always find me easily. Look at you! Found me even here, near my tent!” He felt amused with the chaotic attitude of his sister.  
“You know what I mean! You two are just impossible lately!” retorted Little My with exaggerated annoyance in her voice. “Sneaking out without any notice, leaving your friends alone!”  
She sat on the log near Snufkin, all her movements showing disapproval. She crossed her arms and literally pierced him with her eyes.  
Snufkin took a stick and mindlessly poked the burning log to fit it better into its place. He didn't like where this was going, so he defaulted to one of his favorite strategies when it comes to dealing with unwanted conversations: keep silent and hope that the other will leave out of boredom. This strategy was rarely effective with his stubborn sister though.  
“And what's that?!” Little My quickly grabbed Snufkin's sleeve and pulled his hand closer, examining weird bruises just above his wrist. He freed his sleeve promptly.  
“It's nothing,” said he firmly, and added in a lighter tone with a grin: “And hey, careful with my clothes, will you? I want them to last, you know!”  
“I don't know what games you are playing, but I tell you – beware!” slowly said Little My in a quiet and firm voice looking at the fire. “Yesterday I talked to Snorkmaiden, and she was quite upset. I really hate to see her like this. She said Moomintroll became distant and hardly spends time with her.” Having said this, Little My looked at her brother with a heavy expression.  
“I'm sorry to hear that,” sighed Snufkin, and there was a genuine sadness in his voice. He did feel bad for Snorkmaiden, and it was truly unclear to him, what to do with this mess.  
“I'm leaving soon,” he added quickly, as if he found a great way to resolve the problem.  
“I hope you have fun down south, bro,” Little My jumped off the log. “You're lucky not having to listen to Moomintroll's whining about your departure.”  
And she disappeared behind the bushes as abruptly as she emerged from them earlier.

Snufkin stood up, poured some water onto the dying flames to put it out, and decided to go for walk. Walking was always helpful when he felt overloaded with thoughts and feelings.  
He needed to leave soon... In fact, he was supposed to leave a week ago, when the first snow appeared on the trees and his tent.  
He remembered Moomintroll running to him, happy to see his tent still up. He always had this cute habit of secretly checking the state of Snufkin's campsite in the late fall, obviously looking for some proof that they both still have at least a couple more days at their disposal.  
“Hey Snufkin! Would you like to go to the hot springs? It's getting colder. Wouldn't it be nice to spend some time swimming and splashing and stuff?” Flirtatious smile. Tail's swaying excitedly. For only a split second, deep blue eyes are checking for the signs of imminent departure. Barely observable sigh of relief – not yet.  
“Sure! Who else will join?”  
“Nobody! I mean... It's fun to be with them, but it's almost winter...” Moomintroll took Snufkin's hands in his paws with passion. “Let's go early in the morning! Tomorrow?”  
“I think it's a wonderful idea! It's been a while since I saw you in that gorgeous swimsuit of yours!”  
Both chuckled.  
Then Moomintroll retorted with a fake annoyance in his voice: “I'm not a child anymore! It's skinny dipping for me!”  
“Skinny?” Snufkin's hand found its way around the troll's torso. He pulled Moomintroll closer as his hand slid slowly and thoughtfully to his lower back. Moomin sure wasn't skinny, and feeling all these muscles under the warm fluffy fur was quite a treat, oh man... Snufkin felt his heart racing one hundred miles per hour as he looked directly into Moomintroll's eyes. Deep inside, he was pleased and amused to notice a slight blush on his face. Sweet Moomintroll. Even after doing some uncanny things together, he was still blushing when Snufkin openly showed the slightest signs of affection.  
“Hey, tone it down!” whispered Moomin with a smile, and playfully, but firmly, pushed mumrik away.  
Shufkin smiled to himself. It was a lovely memory, one of many. It felt almost sinful to enjoy these little silly moments so much, to dissolve in them.

And, of course, he remembered the hot springs. Sneaking out secretly, meaningful smiles, walking hand in hand, in silence. Fooling around in the hot water, all naked. Laughter and love in the air. Freedom to love and to be loved. And that rope...

This year was unlike any other. It was unusually difficult to hit the road. Aargh, what a mess! He loved his friends and didn't want to cause any suffering to them. Snorkmaiden... Lovely Snorkmaiden. So tender, so funny. He liked her a lot. Snufkin felt completely tangled in all this.  
Then, the last Little My's words popped out of nowhere, and a clear and painful image of the “whining Moomintroll” became stuck in his mind, on top of everything else! Well, thanks, sis. How thoughtful of you!  
And what about that freedom? That all-important freedom, where did it go? He sure was still drawn to traveling, exploring places and lots of alone time, but now it felt so strangely fading... Just an old story that he liked to tell everyone about himself. He didn't recognize himself anymore, as if being tied down suddenly became not only a valid option, but desirable. Even literally. Why being denied freedom felt so good? How could it be so exciting for Snufkin who always valued his freedom above all? How could he want to give away control so badly?.. Who is he now?

Maybe, they need to be more careful with this... He rubbed slightly his arm just above the wrist. Dull pain made his heart skip a beat when he remembered how he got it. Little My will not let go of this, not her. She will go out of her way to find out the truth...

Walking in the forest was usually helpful, but this time intruding thoughts just couldn't leave him alone. So Snufkin decided to use his ultimate medicine. He took his harmonica out of the pocket, placed it on his palm first, as if he wanted to weigh it. It reflected the moonlight beautifully. Then he brought it to his mouth and felt the cold metal on his lips. The melody started to flow in the moist and cold air, lazy and melancholic. It echoed through the trees and vibrated in his jaw. It seemed to clear the mind and create a blissful stillness in his thoughts. It were just the sound and the cold, here and now, and nothing else. No tomorrow, no difficult conversations, no struggles. He found a spot on a log to sit, closed his eyes and allowed himself to let go of everything and fly freely with the melody, bouncing from the trees and dissolving into the night.

* * *

Snufkin didn't know how much time he spent playing. He just realized that he was very cold. So he put away his harmonica and stared at the moon for a few seconds.  
“It's time to go,” whispered he quietly, then suddenly dropped his head into his hands and started to silently weep.


	3. Addicted to Disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Moomintroll, please... You know I have to leave soon!”  
> The troll's paw grabbed his hair a bit harshly this time and pulled it slightly so that his head leaned back. He pressed his snout to Snufkin's cheek, and his other paw found its way to his chest. Mumrik felt Moomintroll's sharp claws digging into his skin – just enough to leave a mark.  
> “Do you really want to? Hmm?..”

They were running through a golden summer field with lush flowers and soft grass. Moomintroll was holding his hand and pulling him slightly. A brief thought crossed Snufkin's mind: how come everything's so bright and warm in October? But he didn't feel like thinking about it. This adventure felt truly exciting!  
“Where are we going this time?” asked Snufkin, one hand's holding his hat, the other one is firmly held by the other's paw.  
“Wait to see it!” Moomintroll's voice was a mix of joy and excitement and... something else that was difficult to discern.  
Suddenly they stopped.  
“Look!..” Moomintroll's voice sounded as if he shouted and whispered at the same time.  
They stopped at a cliff at least fifty meters high. From their position, they could see a stream with lots of edgy stones down below, the Valley and the forest spreading in all directions on the other side of the stream. They could also see the path in the forest. It led out of the Valley. The cliff's wall was composed of a few big stones that one could step on.  
“Let's go down, over there!” said Moomintroll, showing a particularly large stone protruding from the cliff's wall.  
They carefully climbed down, and in a few minutes were already standing on that stone.  
“Isn't it beautiful?..” exclaimed the troll, closing his eyes and inhaling with his full chest.  
“Yes, it is!” despite a certain uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, Snufkin enjoyed the view. And even more so, he enjoyed Moomintroll's shining face and the feeling of his paw holding his hand.  
“You see that path in the woods? It's going far away from here. And it's calling you, isn't it?” said Moomin in a dreamy and melancholic tone.  
“Don't be sad, Moomintroll. It's just the way things are.”  
Suddenly the troll turned his face to Snufkin and moved closer, staring directly into his eyes with a strange expression.  
“You know, it doesn't have to be this way,” said Moomintroll very slowly, without breaking the eye contact. He carefully grabbed Snufkin's coat and pulled him closer. Mumrik felt the hot breath on his skin, and the familiar electricity ran through his spine - this sensation never failed to immobilize him.  
“I want you to confess,” insisted Moomintroll.  
“What do you mean?”  
The troll kept staring at Snufkin as if he wanted to look into the deepest center of his being.  
“You can't run away this time, can you?” something in Moomintroll's stare was weird. Almost creepy.  
“Moomintroll?..”  
“You are all tied up. I'm afraid you won't be able to leave!” said the troll very seriously, and his paw brushed tenderly through the Snufkin's hair.  
The latter wanted to move forward, but he couldn't. All of a sudden, mumrik realized that he was kneeling on the cold stone with his hands tied behind his back, and feet tied as well. How the hell did that happen?..  
Moomintroll's touch was filled with love and care, it was so good and surreal. The rope felt harsh on his wrists.  
“It's ok, Snuff. I will take care of you, I promise!” whispered Moomintroll into the mumrik's ear, sending another shot of electricity down his spine. For a moment, Snufkin had a burning desire to surrender completely, but the yearning for freedom grew stronger.  
“Moomintroll, please... You know I have to leave soon!”  
The troll's paw grabbed his hair a bit harshly this time and pulled it slightly so that his head leaned back. He pressed his snout to Snufkin's cheek, and his other paw found its way to his chest. Snufkin felt his friend's sharp claws digging into his skin – just enough to leave a mark.  
“Do you really want to? Hmm?..” murmured Moomintroll quietly. There was a mix of seduction and slight menace in every word, in every breath.  
“No...”  
“I can't quite hear you!” Claws digging a tiny bit deeper...  
“No, I don't!” almost shouted Snufkin. “But I need t..” He couldn't finish his reply as he felt Moomintroll's lips on his own, merging into a ridiculously tender kiss. The contrast with the sharp pain from the claws was so striking that Snufkin almost passed out. To hell with freedom...  
“So that's how you entertain yourself, boys!” Snufkin heard a very familiar voice from above. They both turned their heads and saw Little My peeking from the edge of the cliff, with a nasty smile on her face. “I was sure you had a lot of fun without us!”  
With these words, the stone beneath them started to crumble, everything falling into the abyss...  
“Snufkin!” shouted Moomintroll, and his voice sounded strangely muffled. He pulled Snufkin close to him as they were falling down.

Snufkin woke up with a gasp.  
“Snufkin! Knock-knock. Can I come in?”  
Mumrik sat on the mat, holding his head with one hand as if he had a terrible headache.  
“Yes.”  
Moomintroll's face appeared in the entrance.  
“Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up,” said the troll. “You look so pale! Are you alright?”  
He sat near Snufkin with a look of concern on his face.  
“It's nothing, just a bad dream.”  
“Snufkin, please, come with me, let's have breakfast! Mamma made pancakes, and there's seaweed pudding, if you want some!”  
“Thank you, Moomintroll. This sounds great...”  
Snufkin took his friend's paw in his hand.  
“I will leave today.”  
Moomintroll's eyes widened for a split second, and he looked away. Very quickly though, he regained his composure and asked in a neutral tone:  
“Would you like me to help you with the tent?”  
“Sure. But let's have breakfast first! I'm starving.”  
Moomintroll smiled. Like all moomins, he smiled mostly with his eyes. Snufkin loved this peculiar smile so much. He couldn't stop himself from leaning forward and kissing the troll's snout.  
Moomin blushed, then chuckled.  
“Snufkin... Seriously! Your random acts of affection still catch me off guard...” He gently touched Snufkin's cheek while maintaining the eye contact, then added softly: “... and make my heart race. Sometimes I don't recognize you!..”  
“Neither do I!” Snufkin started to laugh lightheartedly, then added seriously: “I love you...”

The breakfast was a real treat. Moominpappa was telling a story from the newspaper – something about the climate change. Nobody was listening, and Pappa couldn't care less. Snorkmaiden was joking and laughing with Little My. The latter ate more pancakes than could reasonably fit in her body. Sniff tried to take part in their lively discussion, but was largely ignored.  
Moomintroll and Snufkin were sitting in silence and from time to time smiling at others' jokes.  
Moominmamma was caring as usual, making sure that everyone had plenty of food and coffee.  
When all was said and done (or eaten), and everyone became silent, Snufkin took out his harmonica and started to play. He played a happy song with just a hint of sadness. Moominpappa invited Mamma to dance. Snorkmaiden made it clear that she's expecting the same from Moomintroll, and so they danced. It felt so cozy and warm in Moominhouse... difficult to believe it was almost winter outside. 

Once they exhausted their dancing mood, Moominmamma approached mumrik.  
“Snufkin, I have something for you” with a warm gesture, she asked him to go with her.  
“Secrets?” shouted Little My, but no one payed attention to this.  
Snufkin felt a little tense as he followed Mamma into the next room.  
She sat on a sofa and invited him to sit beside her.  
“Snufkin, I just want to tell you that you are always welcome here. This is your home. Here, take this.”  
She tenderly took his hand in her paw, and gave him a small glass jar.  
“Feel Good Ointment. Apply at bedtime, feel great in the morning,” read Snufkin on the label. He looked at Moominmamma, puzzled.  
“It's my mom's recipe, very effective for bruises.”  
Snufkin's face became red as he looked down and said with a sigh:  
“Moominmamma, what have I become?.. I don't know who I am anymore...”  
“You know... Why don't I tell you a story I learned from my family? It goes like this...  
Once my Great Grandma planted a tree in her garden. And, you know, trees don't grow over night, so it took a few years before this young tree started to look like one. My Great Grandma enjoyed watching it grow new leaves and new branches every spring. Once, there was a big storm, and an old oak fell right on that young tree, pressing it to the ground. It took them a week to remove the oak, piece by piece, and when they finished, they discovered that the young tree was not broken, but simply bent. It took quite a blow, so it was no wonder that it stayed like this for some time. Yet, little by little, the tree got up, and now – look! It grows inside our house. We never had strength to remove it. Many years later, it still has a bit of an unusual curvature, but that is what makes it unique.”  
They stayed silent for a few minutes.  
“Oh, by the way!” suddenly said Moominmamma cheerfully. “You remember, last year you were helping me with the garden? We had quite a problem with that ivy growing all over the place. To be honest, I was annoyed. I tried to remove it of little or no avail. So finally, we kept it! We just put an old ladder for it so that it could grow up, and now it looks so pretty!” She made a pause and thoughtfully added: “No need to fight it anymore...”  
Snufkin felt a bit overwhelmed with emotions, but he definitely wanted to avoid tears in front of Mamma. So he opted to say nothing and just held her paws for a moment. 

And there they were, standing on the bridge, holding hands, saying goodbyes.  
It started to snow.  
“I will be on time.”  
“You better be.”  
Giggles. Sighs.  
“On the first day of spring, meet me here.”  
Nod.  
“Bye now...”  
Moomintroll watched Snufkin walking away and soon disappearing behind the trees.  
“Bye...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this final chapter! 
> 
> I'm always happy to read comments, by the way =) 
> 
> If you find a really weird phrase in there, by all means tell me, I will correct it. Poor me, I don't have a beta XD and my English is not authentic)) 
> 
> I know, this MM's story doesn't go along with her canon "past", but I just wanted to mention that tree anyways.

**Author's Note:**

> I never wanted to write or publish anything like this. And, most probably, this will be the only experience of this sort.  
> (Well, guess what? I apparently can't leave it like that, so it will have 3 chapters XD)  
> I guess I rather liked the result of my late musings at the computer, and decided to share it.  
> And I'm not even sure that these tags make sense at all XD  
> Please bear with me: English is not my first or even second language.  
> And I couldn't find any beta reader for this.  
> *I will be glad for any suggestion to improve a certain wording. If you found something weird-sounding, please feel free to comment! I will be happy to correct!*
> 
> Having said all that: thank you for your attention!  
> I love this fandom and enjoy its creative flow a lot! =)


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